Tea Parties Prove Conservatives Are Growing (Grass) Roots?

A revolution might be coming this Wednesday, April 15. Antitax protests, known as tea parties, have been brewing around the country, and they could boil over on tax day. T.E.A. stands for "taxed enough already."

On Wednesday, conservatives around the country will evoke the spirit of the American Revolution. Some of the transgressions of congress and the president to be protested include: voting for a $500 billion tax bill without even reading it; spending trillions of borrowed dollars; wanting government-controlled health care; trying to take wealth and redistribute it to others; and appointing a defender of child pornography to the number-two position in the Justice Department.

Basically there's a lot going on. Some sample slogans offered by TeaPartyDay.com? Party Like it's 1773. Obamanomics: Chains You Can Believe In. Commander and Thief. Your Mortgage Is Not My Problem. Liberty Is All the Stimulus We Need.

Economist Paul Krugman thinks the Tea Parties, which he calls AstroTurf — aka fake grass(roots) — should be mocked. To see why,

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He writes that the movement, organized by the usual suspects, makes inaccurate accusations:

President Obama is being called a “socialist” who seeks to destroy capitalism. Why? Because he wants to raise the tax rate on the highest-income Americans back to, um, about 10 percentage points less than it was for most of the Reagan administration. Bizarre.

princess, most people are protesting WHERE the money is going not the tax rates.
and nice call on the teabaggers term, as a follower of the tea parties, I've never heard anyone call themselves that. Way to go for the protesters to pick a good name to call attention to themselves. It got your attention! :woohoo:

princess, most people are protesting WHERE the money is going not the tax rates.and nice call on the teabaggers term, as a follower of the tea parties, I've never heard anyone call themselves that. Way to go for the protesters to pick a good name to call attention to themselves. It got your attention! :woohoo:

"Dave's well aware of how a surveillance act could impact on free speech. "
I've read this type of statement before, but it didn't make any sense then, and it doesn't make any sense now. Since you brought it up, I was hoping that you could elaborate why you feel that free speech is infringed by FISA or the Patriot Act.

"Dave's well aware of how a surveillance act could impact on free speech. "I've read this type of statement before, but it didn't make any sense then, and it doesn't make any sense now. Since you brought it up, I was hoping that you could elaborate why you feel that free speech is infringed by FISA or the Patriot Act.

I don't understand post #76. I always thought that people expressing what they believe in (or not believe in) to be a form of freedom of speech, whatever the issue. It can be tax (as in what they're protesting today) or against the war in Iraq or against the patriot act, or etc. It doesn't matter too for me if the people who protest for this particular event didn't protest against the patriot act or etc, imho, it's just that this may be the topic they firmly believe in. Everyone has their own causes to 'fight' I suppose.

I don't understand post #76. I always thought that people expressing what they believe in (or not believe in) to be a form of freedom of speech, whatever the issue. It can be tax (as in what they're protesting today) or against the war in Iraq or against the patriot act, or etc. It doesn't matter too for me if the people who protest for this particular event didn't protest against the patriot act or etc, imho, it's just that this may be the topic they firmly believe in. Everyone has their own causes to 'fight' I suppose.

The truth is that I'm well aware that Dave has in the past discussed and defended the Patriot Act and FISA here on Citizen, and that Dave's well aware of how a surveillance act could impact on free speech.

and yet you still can't answer a question. shame, i would've loved to hear what you had to say. you had an open platform to speak the truth to those of us who maybe don't understand your point and would like to...but i get it. when you don't have an answer then you don't have a comment. that's cool. atleast you gave it your best shot. :)

Now that Obama is POTUS, you notice how he now accepts theories behind "The patriot Act" and "FISA". using the EXACT same arguments and legal framework as his predecessor. Is it even possible that when you get to sit in that office, have access to all the materials that is available to the POTUS, that in fact these are prudent actions on the part of the government.
You notice the Obama administration has appealed a ruling from a district court judge that some detainees at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan are entitled to challenge the reasons for their detentions. They are using EXACTLY the same legal reasoning as the Bush Administration did in defending keeping the GITMO detainees.

Undave, usually when people say such things like "If you don't understand, then I'm not explaining" then they just don't have an explanation. Those who know the answer would be willing to talk and to explain their response. That way their comment looks well thought out and would give us all proper dialogue.
Stephley, something you need to understand about conservatives, we like facts and well put responses. We won't ever come over to your side or try to work with those who just respond in a snarky manner. Intelligent debate is good, fifth grade responses will never sway us.

No, because the Patriot Act and FISA have been in place for years and voting age adults should know what they are and what can be done under them by now. THAT's why it's too late to ask that question now.